Vegas Night at MYCC

A bid goes out at auction for a hundred thousand dollars to claim a prize - a haircut at a local shop and a dinner at a local restaurant . A homemade cake goes for two hundred thousand dollars. You're not dreaming. You're at the concluding festivities for "Vegas Night" at the Monterey Yacht Club, and the money offered at this auction is play money. You'd never know it, though, from the behavior of the participants, intent as they are over each bet.

The evening's entertainment is at the blackjack tables, the roulette wheel , and the craps table, where gamblers are at work making their bets and hauling in thousands. Convert some bills to plastic, and you're on at roulette, where players place chips of many colors to cover numbers in red or black squares as the wheel spins. Stay with one table all evening or wander around with a handful of bills, you pick your fun. That pile of play money, worth five American dollars at the door, gets bigger and smaller as the evening wears on.

What's left of it ends up back in the hands of the organizers through an auction for dozens of prizes donated by local merchants. A dependable format that's been bringing cheer and excitement to Monterey's gamblers for years.

Second Time Around at Monterey

Living up to its reputation as the outstanding social event of the year, the Second Time Around Sale on the first Saturday in February, 2016 called forth wares from Monterey closets and cupboards and shelves to shine into new life and usefulness under new ownership. For two weeks the pool room lost its seclusion as it became the heart of collecting and sorting enough goods to fill solidly arranged tables inside and outside the clubhouse.

Where else can a single morning's shopping turn up a big, red ceramic mixing bowl, a stunning necklace, a set of matching sofa cushions, a seriously useful hammer and wrench, a table lamp with shade, a handsome handbag, a set of golf clubs, a smashing gown, a pair of framed paintings, a tasteful arrangement of silk flowers, a swivel rocker, an electric coffee pot, and a plate of homemade cookies?

Now you see it, now you don't. At twelve noon, all remaining unsold goods is packed into boxes for pickup by a worthy charity. Yet the unifying effort and fun of a fast-paced project bring rewards of new friendships and new awareness of the wholesome place we have chosen to call home.

Monterey DooWop Dance Party 2016

Once again, a sell-out! With a name like DooWop for a dance party, you can expect no less. A fresh coat of paint on the Yacht Club walls and a generous representation of new faces coming through the door truly enlivened the atmosphere. Most of the crowd were dressed in 50's fashion, and all of the crowd spent most of the evening up and dancing, thanks to the magical persuasion of DJ's Carol and Ron. And oh - what a thrill to see Dave out on the dance floor with Terri and their charming rendition of "May I Have This Dance for the Rest of My Life."

A crowd favorite, "Let's have a Party" along with special guest performances by Angelina and Louigie, the Maraca Gedeons, and of course Elvis, carried the evening to its conclusion. Nobody wanted to quit dancing and go home.

Welcome Back under the Stars

The Welcome Back Party under the Stars was a roaring success that drew an impressive blend of party-goers out on a slightly chilly January evening. Everyone brought something for the buffet table. The colossal variety of dishes, from appetizers to desserts, was outdone only by the remarkable culinary expertise on display.

A sizeable portion of the parking lot was roped off for the party. People found plenty of room for wandering around greeting friends as well as for dancing to a great variety of music provided by a Monterey favorite, "The Sophisticats". What a way to warm up! Everyone also enjoyed the chiminea, a charming addition to the ambience of the evening.

Hope Rural School at Monterey (2015)

Monterey has come to rely on a lively annual visit from children to launch the Christmas season in our adult community. And so it was that on December 1st, when a yellow school bus pulled up at the Yacht Club at ten a.m. and discharged the kindergarten class from the Hope Rural School in Indiantown. With their audience already on hand, eagerly awaiting their arrival, the children filed into the room adorned in red Santa hats and a charming combination of shyness and high energy.

Well trained in the words and gestures for each of their songs, the line-up of children concluded the program with "We wish you a merry Christmas!" They circulated among spectators eager with hugs and words of appreciation, when who should appear but Santa with a bag full of treats!

As explained by Sister Dooley, director of the school, Hope Rural School was founded in 1980 for the purpose of helping families of migrant workers and giving them reason to remain in the area. Schooling for the children, pre-kindergarten through grade five, as well as instruction in parenting has set the school apart from all others

For Monterey residents, admission to the program is an unwrapped gift for a child or a cash donation. The popularity of the event has grown to the extent that people who are not going to be in residence send gifts beforehand, so that this year brought the largest total donation ever.